1. Field of the Technology
The present disclosure relates generally to wireless communication networks and devices, and more particularly to Short Message Service (SMS) message delivery techniques within such networks.
2. Description of the Related Art
There are several different types of useful portable electronic devices on the market today. An end user may own two or more of these electronic devices, including a data communication device, a cellular telephone, a multiple-function communication device with data and voice communication capabilities, a personal digital assistant (PDA) enabled for wireless communication, or a computer incorporating an internal modem, as some examples.
Some of these devices are equipped to send and receive Short Message Service (SMS) messages. SMS messages are different from e-mail messages but are delivered in a similar fashion with use of a uniquely identifying address. For example, the address may be a Mobile Station Integrated International Service Digital Network (MSISDN) uniquely associated with a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) that is inserted within a wireless communication device. Since each device is associated with a unique address, an end user who owns two or more of these devices often finds it inconvenient to continually make use of only one of the devices to keep a single consistent address or point of contact with others.
More specifically, the present disclosure is concerned with issues related to SMS enhancements such as Forwarding Short Messages and Storing Short Messages in the network. Note that such ideas have been debated in the past in standards groups including SMG4 and T2. At the time, it was concluded that it was too complex both technically and commercially.
The following discussion serves to highlight these problems. A mobile subscriber may receive SMS messages from any Short Message Service Center (SMS-SC) in any network operator's domain as well as their SMS-SC of the home public land mobile network (PLMN). If a mobile subscriber wishes to have their short messages forwarded to another MSISDN or any other destination address, then an agreement may be made with their home PLMN SMS-SC. That would work for any SMS messages that are to be delivered via the subscriber's home PLMN SMS-SC. However, this cannot easily work without highly complex agreements with any SMS messages that are to be delivered to that subscriber from any other SMS-SC in other PLMN domains. The consequence is that SMS forwarding would be ineffective unless the forwarding mechanism applied to every SMS-SC in every network operator's domain. Additionally, even if it were possible to have some commercial agreement, it is highly likely that such an agreement and SMS-SC capability in non-home PLMN SMS-SC's would have to be optional. This would make the Forwarding service useless as the recipient would still receive Short Messages to the unwanted destination.
Accordingly, there is a resulting need for improved methods and apparatus for use in delivering SMS messages to wireless communication devices.